Ore concentration



Patented Apr. 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEL',

HUGO EDWARD FREDRIGK, OF HAYDEN, ABIZON A, ASSIGNOR OF TWENTY-THREE ANDTHIRTY-FOUR ONE-HUNDREDZPHS PER CENT TO WILLIAM- H. BISSELL, TWENTY-THREE AND THIRTY-TREE ONE-HUNDREDTHS PER CENT T FRANK S. SIN- NICKS, ANDFIFTY-THREE AND THIRTY-THREE ONE-HUNDREDTHS PER GENT TO GEORGE J'.HENRY, ALL OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ORE CONGENTRA'IION.

Ho Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Huco EDWARD FRED- RICK a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Illayden, in the county of Gila and State a ofArizona, have invented certain new and useful 1m rovements in OreConcentration, of which t e following is a specification;

This invention relates to the concentration of sulphide ores (natural orartificial), and

no ores containing copper (native or precipitated) by the so-calledflotation process,

wherein pulp consisting of a mixture of finely divided ore and water,together with a flotation agent, is subjected to mechanical l5agitation, or to aeration without agitation,

as in the so-called bubbles column process,

to cause flotation and separation of the ore values.

My present invention is based on the dis- 2c covery that the pyridineseries of hydrocarbons, and their several derivatives, and salts of thesame, are highly useful as flotation agents in the said process.

The pyridine series herein referred to comprise organic bases found incoal-tar and wood-tar, or are produced by the distillation of otherorganic substances, such as bones, hair, hoofs, etc., or from ammoniacalliquors obtained from coal distillation, or are otherwise obtained. Mypresent invention includes broadly the utilization of such agents,irrespective of the manner in which they ma be obtained.

ong the agents which may be used in carrying out my invention, and whichare included within the term pyridine series in these specifications andin the claims, the following may be mentioned: Pyridine, and itsderivatives having the general base formula C H N. Salts of the abovecompounds (hydrochlorides, sulphates, acetates, formates, andv othersalts of the above compounds), as well as, mixtures, may be used. Allthese substances are N-membered heterocylic hydrocarbons-that is,compounds of the ring series wherein nitrogen enters into the ringnucleus, and all of them, aswell as their derivatives and salts, may beemployed in the same manner as members or mixtures of members of theApplication filed December 11, 1918. Serial No. 266,294..

pyridine series, as found in the pyridine and pyridine bases ofcommerce.

The said pyridine series may be obtained from tar residues, tar-oil,acid-tar, woodtar, or other organic'distillation products, such asbone-oil, by well-known processes, and need not be purified, or bewholly free from other constituents of said substances, which otherconstituents, however, act not only as diluents, but act deleteriouslyin the process and interfere with the beneficial action of said pyridineseries.

The following may be given as an example of my process:

A small amount of the flotation agent consisting substantially of amember of the pyridine series of h drocarbons or a derivative or saltthereo either concentrated'or mixed with water, or other solvent, isadded to and mixed with the ore pulp to be treated,

in any suitable way. The pulp is then subjected to mechanical agitation,or to direct aeration without other agitation, as by passing air, orother gas, thereinto through a porous medium, as in the bubbles columnprocess, the separated mineral collecting on the surface of the mixture.

The amount of the reagents used will vary somewhat with diflerent oresand has been found by me in practice to vary between 0.15 pounds to 0.75pounds per ton of dry ore.

With some ore pulps it may be desirable to add either small amounts ofacid or of alkali, depending upon the nature of the ore pulp beingtreated.

A characteristic feature of the hereinmentioned reagents is that theyexercise an extraordinary selective action, causing the mineral to floatquickly and practically free from gangue. While I have described thepyridine series of hydrocarbons, and the derivatives and salts thereof,as highly useful as flotation reagents in the concentration of ores, itwill be understood that they ma be combined with other reagents, whicmay act as diluents when necessary, for the purpose of increasing thebeneficial action of said pyridine, its derivatives and salts;

but such combination or uses with other reagents should not be such asto interfere wholly markedly with the beneficial action of the reagentswhich I have described and disclosed herein.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis 1. The rocess of concentrating ores which conslsts in subjectingfinely divided ore and Water to th -action of a flotation agent whichagent consists substantially of a mixture of the pyridine series ofhydrocarbons, and introducing gas into said mixture to cause aseparation of the metalliferous matter from the gangue.

2. In the process of concentrating ores by flotation, the employment asa flotation 15 agent of a mixture consisting of derivatives of singlering N membered heterocyclic bases.

3. In the process of concentrating ores by flotation, the employment asa flotation 20 agent of a mixture consistingof salts of single ring Nmembered heterocyclic bases.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my, name.

HUGO EDWARD FREDRICK.

